Protecting Public Parks

By Joel Thurtell

Today, which is to say June 23, 2010, there will be a session of the U.S. Social Forum aimed at discussing a hot issue around the country — protecting public paraks from greedy private developerse.

The session begins at 3:30 p.m. in Rom 1137 of the Old Main Building at Wayne State University. Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from LuAnne Kozma, of Park Advocate Alliance, a network group that put on the Social Forum presentation.

I understand that state Rep. Rashida Tlaib and local activist Joseph Rashid will be involved in the session, which will devote part of its time to discussing billionaire Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun’s attempt to steal Riverside Park in Detroit. Other threatened parks also are on the agenda, including Jean Klock Park in Benton Harbor, the state’s Proud Lake preserve as well as parks in Ohio and Oklahoma.

Plesae be aware that registration is at Cobo Hall downtown and allow time to find parking.

Here is the agenda Kozma sent to me:

3:30  Introductions and welcome–LuAnne–Have people go around room and make brief self- introductions
3:45  Threats to parks, layers of park protection, some earlier park threats in Michigan (Proud Lake State Park, Garfield Park, North Novi Park, Kensington Metropark), LuAnne (10 mins)
3:55 Rouge Park–Sally Petrella (15 mins)
4:10-4:30  Eliza Howell Park–Sally Petrella, Leor Barak, LuAnne (20 mins)
Stretch?
4:30-4:35  Video or audio report from Oklahoma–Steve Willis (5 mins)
4:35-4:55  Battery Park, Sandusky, Ohio–Dee and Tim (20 mins)
4:55-5:15  Jean Klock Park–Terry Lodge and LuAnne (any others?) (20 mins)
5:15–5:30 questions, answers, ways to win
Afterwards: invite anyone interested to go see Riverside Park at Ambassador Bridge and perhaps go to dinner together from there; see how it goes.
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One Response to Protecting Public Parks

  1. JoeH says:

    You guessed right Riverside Park is on the list, check the associated PDF for the rest of the parks to close. July 1st .

    http://www.freep.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/100624040/1001/NEWS/Cash-strapped-Detroit-to-close-77-city-parks-in-July

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